Protest: We will take action if things escalate – Military warns

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), says the military will intervene if the ongoing nationwide #EndbadGovernance protests continue to be violent. 

While speaking at a press conference in Abuja today August 2, the Army chief appealed to protesters to recognise that destruction is counterproductive and would only set the nation aback.

“We should realise that these destructions and monies have to be used—monies for development will have to be used to develop these things so we can move forward, and so instead of doing that, we should come together to make sure nothing is destroyed.

The statement has already been passed to the local, state, and federal governments.

We want to warn those that are recalcitrant, those that don’t want to listen, that we will not fold our hands and see our country destroyed.

We will take action, and the action that we’ll take will be professional. Anyone who is caught will be taken to the courts to be dealt with.

Let us avoid anything that will bring mayhem within our communities. We have seen the level of destruction that has been carried out just yesterday, and so you can imagine if this continues for so long. The armed forces and the entire military security agencies will not stand by and see that to continue.”

The military chief also asked the media to lessen coverage of the protests, saying some protesters are only looking for screen time.

“I noticed throughout yesterday all the stations were hooked up on the occasion. This is not election, don’t give them that coverage because some of them are just looking for moments of being on the screen,” he said

The End Bad Governance protest which started across the country on Monday, August 1 witnessed mass destruction and looting of private and public properties in some states, particularly in the North.